Scunthorpe Rugby Union Club waiting for luck to change to they can escape being in the bottom three

SECOND HOME DEFEAT: Action from Scunthorpe's clash with Syston at Heslam Park. Main picture, Chris Neal on the attack; top right, Tom Foster touches down for a try; bottom right, Adam Middleton drives forward Pictures: David Haber. Buy these photos at www.thisisphotosales.co.uk/scunthorpe

Their performances may not have yielded the number of points they would have liked after eight games of the season.

But coach Tim Robinson has seen enough from the Greens not to be worried about the fact they have now dropped into the bottom three in National Three Midlands.

Mistakes were again punished as Scunthorpe were beaten for the fourth time in five matches last weekend when Syston won 35-20 at Heslam Park.

That result, coupled with wins for strugglers Hinckley and Bournville, nudged them into the drop zone.

But with two-thirds of the campaign still to play, Robinson is not concerned by his side's points return – especially given the run of games they have faced.

"We're not really worried," said the Greens coach, who takes his side to high-flying Ampthill on Saturday.

"We're only eight games into the season and the thing you've got to look at is the confidence of the players and how we're playing.

"There certainly isn't any dejection there at the moment – we are playing some really good stuff. When you look at the fixtures, after Saturday, we'll have played the top five in the division away from home.

"I know the Syston lads pretty well and after the game on Saturday I was speaking to one of their coaches who said they'd had a good run of fixtures but between now and Christmas he didn't see them getting many points.

"It's swings and roundabouts. It's how much it takes out of the players confidence wise and their belief going into the run of games we've got after the Ampthill game."

The Greens will certainly need to believe going in to what is their longest trip of the season. Ampthill have so far justified their tag as one of the favourites for promotion and are currently unbeaten.

"We've got to go and play, enjoy our rugby and concentrate on our performance," continued Robinson.

"If we can target a try bonus, that would probably put us within touching distance of the game.

"We've got to put pressure on them, like teams have done to us, and capitalise on any mistakes that they make.

"There's only so many charge downs and interceptions you're going to give away in a season.

"Our luck will turn at some point and they will then go our way.

"Hopefully it happens sooner rather than later and we'll get some points.

"If the performances weren't great you'd say we are struggling, but performances are there.

"On Saturday (against Syston) I'd say for 80 per cent of the game our attacking structures and particularly our defensive structures, were solid.

"We've got to stay upbeat and confident and really have a go at Ampthill. We've got nothing to lose at the moment. We feel we're playing pretty well."

The Greens may again be without back Oli Wood, but Robinson hopes the centre may return from a rib injury sooner than originally anticipated.

"He got the injury a fortnight ago against Sutton Coldfield and he woke up on the Sunday morning, coughed and popped an external intercostal muscle," Robinson added.

"The healing time is supposed to be three weeks but we'll see what his rehab has been like over this last week."